Jail Brakers,
the program that offers support and services to the families
of incarcerated individuals, is gearing up after the Coronavirus
pandemic under the direction of new leadership. Cheryl Niemo, the visionary founder
and longtime director of the program, has retired from that role
and James Carpenter is taking the reins.
Due to her personal experience with the
incarceration of a family member and her experience in the social
work field, Niemo founded Jail Brakers in 2009 to address the stigma
related to incarceration and to provide meaningful resources to families
and individuals affected by imprisonment to elevate family identity
and improve outcomes. She led the
organization as a non-profit and then as an independent ministry
of the Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry.
The pandemic interrupted many of Jail
Brakers’ programs, especially its monthly support group sessions and
Niemo has taken a new full-time social work job in Elgin. She said:
I’m heartened by the ongoing support of Jail Brakers, a ministry
benefiting individuals and families affected by incarceration. Countless
community members, local churches and organizations have demonstrated a strong
capacity for kindness, compassion and wisdom surrounding the heart rendering
needs and issues encountered by this population. This is an exciting time for
Jail Brakers as new leadership steps forward to maintain its programs and
values with James Carpenter, the unwavering commitment of Tree of Life Church
and it’s much appreciated community partners. To the future of Jail Brakers
volunteers and recipients. May the warmth be with you!
Carpenter is a Certified Recovery Support
Specialist (CRSS) and has worked in the behavioral health field
for over a decade. He has served on the Board
of Directors for the Mental Health Court Association of Illinois and
the Illinois Association of Problem Solving Courts and believes that individuals
should be able to avoid the revolving door of the criminal justice system
through involvement with the strict probationary option offered
by Problem Solving Courts and improve their lives after serving their time by having
a chance to have their records sealed or expunged and has been
discussing this possible option with Prairie State Legal Services.
He will bring fresh prospective as Jail
Brakers director. He will also help coordinate
other Tree of Life Congregation criminal justice projects including advocacy
for prison and sentencing reform with the Unitarian Universalist
Action Network of Illinois (UUANI), the U.U. Prison Ministry including
a pen pal initiative and support teams for recently released
inmates.
Carpenter will coordinate the monthly family
support group which meets the 1st Thursday of every month from
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at The Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock, 225 W
Calhoun. The first session will
be on Thursday, June 2.
Jail Breakers also provides gas cards
for families who wish to maintain strong family connections during their
loved one’s incarceration. Often, family members are sent anywhere from 1.5 hours
to 7 hours away from home. This imposes a significant financial barrier
in addition to the emotional and physical challenges faced when
visiting loved ones. Research confirms that being able to maintain positive
support increases the likelihood of a successful reentry process
which is helpful in reducing recidivism—the rate at which
people are re-incarcerated.
Other assistance includes referrals and
aid in navigating the court system and obtaining social
services support, small donations for emergency needs, jail and
prison phone costs, and commissary accounts.
Jail Brakers serves all community
members regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof and never
demands creedal tests or engages in proselytizing.
A Jail Brakers Turkey Bingo fundraiser in 2019. The event is expected to return this fall.
In addition to support from the congregation
and donations, Jail Brakers will resume fundraising activities like an
annual Turkey Raffle event in the fall and participation
in The Human Race.
Contributions to support Jail Brakers can be made by sending a check made out
to Tree of Life UU Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road, McHenry, IL
60050 with Jail Brakers on the memo line or donate on-line at
https://treeoflifeuu.breezechms.com/give/online
and select Jail Brakers from the drop-down menu under “Give to
Unpledged Donations.” The donations are placed in a dedicated fund
and not used for any other purpose. Tree of Life also donates all the administrative
expenses of the program so 100% of all donations go directly to client
assistance.
For assistance and information
contact James Carpenter at 815 322-3223, e-mail him at jailbrakers@gmail.com or visit https://treeoflifeuu.org/justice/social-justice/jail-brakers/.
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